Stars Over Haiti Book Prologue

I've transcribed the prologue to the book just as my pops wrote it. After years of political unrest and turmoil, he was pretty peeved about how things had been handled by the US et al. He sounds quite angry here but he was not an angry man. Anyone who knew him would be hard pressed to recall a single time he raised his voice. (Unlike Grandma Murial, she was a yeller, especially when she got her drink on.) 

 Chris, Pops and I in Haiti in 1982

One of the first times I remember seeing Pops get mad was in 1978. I can't remember what ticked him off but he came out of the house where we lived with our mom in a huff and kicked the tire on his jalopy Jaguar. He always wore soft leather loafers and this day was no exception. After jamming his shoe into the tire's hard rubber, he hopped back, hunched over and nursed his aching toe. My brother, Chris, and I fell into hysterical fits of laughter which only added to the poor man's frustration. But he was a good sport and had a great sense of humor as evidenced by the colorful anecdotes in his book.

Prologue 2001:

Stars Over Haiti was originally released as Hot Times in Haiti in 1994, and briefly distributed by Barnes & Noble, Books and Books and Borders in South Florida, as well as in Haiti where it sold out immediately. Due to the publisher's financial difficulties and personal problems, back orders were never fulfilled and no further distribution was possible.

In eleven years since the book's release, Haiti has once again degenerated to anarchy, civil unrest, violent street gangs, political assassinations, kidnapping of the bourgeois on a daily basis, police corruption, lack of a working justice system, and feuding drug cartels.

In January of 1994, President Clinton assisted Aristide's return by US military force, ousting the military junta that had been in control since the coup d'état on September 30, 1991. Prior to the troops actually landing, former President Jimmy Carter went to negotiate with General Raul Cedras, head of the Hatitian military, and offered him terms of surrender: nineteen million in cash for him and his family, safe escort to live happily ever after in Panama and leasing his properties to the US State department. General Cedras accepted the terms without delay. Meanwhile, the leader of the coup, Chief of Police Michelle Francois, left quickly to Honduras (with no extradition laws) with an unsaid amount of money (I want to make it clear Cedras was not responsible for the coup.)

Upon Aristide's return, the economic embargo of Haiti set forth by OAS was terminated. Once again people were optimistic, only to be disappointed by Aristide's lack of political experience in running a country which was dominated by one political party ruling with drug money, extortion and violence.

Thus a new dictatorship ensued. Large homes sprung up high in the mountains over Port-au-Prince while the populace continued to suffer from lack of employment, healthcare, waste disposal, electricity, and proper drinking water sources. Aristide also decided to enter into private enterprises to ensure his good fortune i.e. opening the only cell phone company on the island. Although promised nearly five hundred million dollars by the International community to aid in building an infrastructure, Aristide neglected to privatize one of the utilities, a condition imposed by the International community.

Led by members of the abandoned military, protests arose north of Haiti, resulting in a successful takeover of strategic positions surrounding the capital. There were student demonstrations throughout Port-au-Prince calling for Aristide's resignation.

In 2004, the Bush administration, no longer capable of ensuring his safety, urged Aristide to take asylum in South Africa. Upon Aristide's departure, 8,000 Peace Keepers were sent by the United Nations to prepare the country for elections that would take place in October 2005. Until now, there has been no reduction in street violence or kidnapping, and the situation remains bleak. Despite the US implementation, and the leadership of Prime Minister Gerard La Tortue, the provisional government has been ineffective in achieving any progress.

 

 Dad and Grandma in her house in Port-au-Prince

On June 21, 2001, my mother passed away in Haiti. Her ashes were spread into the sea in front of Kyona Beach as she requested. I closed the house with my sister, Jody, and bid Haiti adieu.